Safety crank attachment for internal-combustion engines.



w. A. HELL. SAFETY CRANK ATTACHMENT FOB INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPL|CI\TION HLED IULY I9, 1915.

'Pafe-n fed 1111116, 1916.

Swue 1H0 mm (/2 JIeZZ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. HELL, or DAVENPORT, IOWA.

SAFETY CRANK ATTACHMENT son INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.-

Application filed July 19, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, \VILLIAM A. HELL, a

citizen of the United States, residing atand I do declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful.

improvements 'inengine attachments, and more particularly to cranking attachments for'internal combustion engines.

The object of the invention is to provid an attachment for a starting crank such as .is used on internal combustion engines,

which holds the same when in inoperative I position, and also prevents accidents resulting from backfiring' of the enginewhich causes the crank to revolve rearwardly, by

stopping the impetus given thereto immedi-" ately.

pp A further object of the invention is to provldea device which is simple and dur able lIIJCOIlSfiIUCiZlOIl, mexpenslve to manuholder attached to the front of an automobile; Fig. 2 is'a vertical section of the same taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 1s a. perspective view of this device; Fig. 4 is a perspective view similarto Fig. 3 only taken from the other side.

In describingmy invention. I shall refer I to the accompanying drawings in which similar. reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several. viewsfand in which the letter S. indicates the supporting structure of this device which is shown in the drawings as comprislng the front portion of a chassis of an automobile,

; and secured to this supporting structure S is a crank G- which is mounted to revolve Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented June 6, 1916.

Serial No. 40.730.

and reciprocate thereon as is usual in cranks of this character. This crank is normally held outwardly in inoperative engagement. but upon being forced inwardly or rearwardly, the rear end of the same will engage the shaft, of the engine that propels the vehicle. This structure involved is of the ordinary type used. and is too well known- 'to make it necessary for the same to be further illustrated. This structure forms no part of my invention and may be of any desired type used on various makes of auto mobiles. j i

Attached to the supporting structure S at 1 is my improved attachment which is designated by the'numeral 2. This attachment consists of a vertical portion 3 having an aperture & therethrough, said vertical portion being secured to the outer face of the support S at 1, by means of a bolt 5 which projects therethrough and holds the parts together by means of a securing nut 6. The lower extremity of the vertical portion 3 of the strip 2 has a bracing foot 7 which when this strip is in position, projects beneath the bottom of the support S to additionally securely fasten the strip to said support. The strip 2 extends obliquely outward from the upper extremity of the vertical portion 3 as shown at 8, to form'a cam and into the path of the crank C when the same revolves. the outer extremity of said projecting portion or cam 8 having formed at its outer end, a laterally outwardly projecting stop 9 for the said crank as will be hereinafter more fully described. Positioned longitudinally on the inner side of the obliquely projecting portion of the said strip is a spring metal latch member 10 which has its lower portion thereof 11 secured to the said strip by fastening members-12, and its upper portion 13 projectin'g'laterally from the said strip in the opposite direction from: which the stop 9 of the same projects. This projecting upper portion 13 of the latch member has formed intermediate its ends a curved crank receiving seat 14 whlch 1s adapted to hold a portion of the said crank when the same is in inoperative position, between the same and the strip 2 as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In operation when the crank is in normal position and it is desired to hold the same, I

it will be positioned between the laterally projecting end 13 ofthe. latch member in without departing from t and the inner side of the strip 2, in the crank receiving' curved portion formed to receive the same as clearly shown in Fig. of the drawings. When'in this position, the crank will be out of engagement with the engine shaft and'to start said engine, it is necessary to disengage the crank from theabove described position and swing the same downwardly and then force it inwardly into engagement with the engine shaft whereby upon movement of revolving he same, a rotary movement will be imparted +0 the engine shaft engine."

If starting the engine by revolving the crank" should cause the engine to backfire, a retrograde-movement would be imparted to the said crank and the same would swing in the opposite direction until it would strike the obliquely projecting portion 8 of. thestrip 2," where, owing to the fact that thesaid portion of the strip projects forwardly, the crank-will be out of engagement with the engine shaft to thereby avoid any further retrograde movement from the said shaft.

The crank is brought to a positive stop bymeans of the lip 9 at the extremityozt' the obliquely projecting portion, of the strip 2 which enga cs the said crank and'its under portion holes the same from any further movement. This lip will stop the movement of the crank and prevent .the same from revolving completely around \vhereby it would be likely tostrike the operator and injure him severely, as so often happens upon. backfiring of the engine while cranking the -machine. I

This attachment, owing to its particular :structure and arrangement with-respect to the support and crank of an automobile, and the performance of the atoresaid itunction,'

obviates all danger of backfiringwhile turning the crank'to start the engine. Itfurthermore provides a simple and efiicient means-for firmly and securely holding the crank when the same is in inoperative position. 7

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved attachment to cranks for automobiles, the manner of applying the same to use and the operation thereof will be readily understood and it will be seen'that I haveprovided a simple, efficient and inexpensive means for carrying out the objects of this invention.

VVhile I have particularly described the elements best adapted to'perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that 1various chang'es'in the minor details of construction,

form, or proportion, may be resorted'to within the scope of the appended claims e spirit or sacrificingany of the princip tion;

to star the I es of this inven- J. claim as iny-mvention:

the combination with; a supporting struc ture, and a crank mounted to ,revolveand reciprocate thereon; of a stationary cam having one end fixed to the supporting structure and extending outwardly and up wardly in the' path .of the crank to recipro-v cate-the same to inoperativeposition upon its retrograde movement, and an angular projection on the free end of said'ca'm to positively stop the retrograde'nrovement Of said crank when moved to inoperative position.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with-a supporting struc true, and crank mounted to revolve and reciprocate thereon; of astationary cam having one end fixed .to the supporting structure and extending outwardly and up wardly therefrom, an angular. pro ection on the free end of said cam, and a latch mem- -ber on end of the cam to hold the crank:

vwhen in inoperative, position.

3.;In a device-of the character described tlie'combination with a supporting structure, and a. crank mounted to revolve and reciprocate thereon; of a metal strip secured at one end to said supporting structure and projecting obliquely therefrom in the path of the rotary movement of the crank, a laterally projecting hp at the extremity of the other end of said strip to form a stop for said crank.

a. In a device of the character described the combinatioi'i with a supporting struc-. ture, and a crank mounted torevolve and reciprocate thereon; of a metal strip having a vertical .portion at one end secured to the supporting structure, a bracing foot on the lower end of said portion to engage the bottom of saidisupport, said strip projecting obliquely outward from the upper end of the said vertical portion-,a laterally projecting lip on the extremity of the obliquely projectingportion of said strip, and a spring. latch secured to said obliquely projecting section ofthe strip to hold-the crank when in inoperative position.

5. In a device of the character described the combination with a supporting struc- 'jecting portion of said strip, a longitudinally extending spring metal member-having tlielower portion thereof secured to the inner side of the said obliquely projecting section and-the upper portion prol. In a device of the character described,

jecting laterally inwar'aly therefrom; and Jmy hand in presence of two subscribing 'said laterally inwardly projecting portion witnesses.

having formed intermediateits ends a I i I curved crank receiving face to hold the WILL HELL 5 crank thereinwhen the samelis' in inoper- \Vitnesses:

ative position. V LOUIS F. -Bun1umswn, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set \VALTER SCHROEDER. 

